Once Upon a Time...

there was alpine skiing, a sport reserved for those who used their silver spoon to eat snow each winter. Those with private ski lodges, goggle tans and family trusts were at the front of every lift queue. While those slumming it in 3 star hotel accommodation, rental gear and borrowed parkas where found relegated to the back of each line.

Then, in the stealth of the night, along came snowboarding, entering the mountain through the back door. The battle had begun and all the elite had to protect themselves with was their well worn family set of silver spoons...

With this rivalry still causing death stares and calls of derogatory terms on the slopes, I am seriously questioning which equipment I will decide to pick up this season.

Of course I can’t wait to attach some skis to my legs, to get shushing down the slopes in my old friends. But I am sensing the need for a new challenge. Boarding, has never appealed to me before, but lately it has become a nagging thought at the back of my mind. Perhaps stemming from a need that has come out of some sad yearning for my surf board, to find an equal to that exhilarating feeling of being on a board that I have been missing for the last two years.

So what will I decide and what will I be walking away with at the end of the season? Some seriously well honed ski skills or a new bag of tricks from a season on a board?

Do I want to become one of those thug labelled boarders? Or do I actually like carrying my silver spoon around with me?

Its Pow Pow Time Again!

With yet another stella ski season now in very near sight, I can truly say it has been a long and winding road throughout the long summer months to reach this ski season. The twists and turns of life seemed to find me yet again before my feet even had a chance to grace their presence on the stone pavements of resort. I don’t know what it is about me that attracts change to an already agreed upon arrangement when it comes to ski seasons, but yet again I have found myself rolling with the punches and adapting to unexpected changes.

I won’t bore you with the small detail; perhaps not even the general detail except to say that I applied to work in a specific chalet with a specific company, with a specific person and the only specific detail I will be arriving into resort with tomorrow is the company I will be working for.

So let me tell you about some of the details of my ski season coming up. As of tomorrow I will find myself living in the ski resort called Morzine, located in the Northern French Alps, in-between Geneva and Mont Blanc. The Chalet I will be working in is called Farmhouse La Desmeuniere. It is a beautiful 18th century farmhouse located at the base of the Morzine slate mines. It sleeps a maximum of 20 guests and I have been employed as the chalet chef for a well established small English company called ‘The Great Escape’. Darren and Sam, the owners of the company have a portfolio of 2 catered chalets and 4 apartments and have been based in Morzine for the last 10 years.

I will be working and living with a British girl called Sophie (that’s right another roommate called Sophie!). Sophie and I have been employed to run the chalet together and while I will do all the cooking, Sophie will ski host, clean and transfer guests. So it’s going to be a very busy 5 months with lots of work for Sophie and me to crack on with.

‘The Great Escape’ team this year consists of 4 girls! That’s right, No Boys! Girl power to the times of 4! Which is something poor Darren (our boss) is still coming to terms with. 4 single girls about to be unleashed in resort....oh dear!

The other chalet, ‘the Alpine Refuge’ will be run by no other than my old roommate from Vaujany...Sophie! Thats right, Sophie couldn’t resist another season with me on the slopes, so she applied and secured the chalet chef position in the company’s other catered chalet. She will be working with a British girl called Joanna who is well versed with the going on of life in resort as she has worked both a summer and winter season in Morzine before.

So with less than 24 hours before I arrive in resort tomorrow I am literally jumping out of my skin with excitement. A season of hard work, plenty of skiing and no doubt lots of fun to be had. I can’t wait for it to all unfold...